Stab in the Dark
by Tanima8
Summary: Police Detectives Zoro Roronoa and Nami Swan are assigned a standard B&E case. But the more they look into the details, the darker things become. Will the pair be able to get to the bottom of it? Warning: mild use of course language, some mature themes, character death [Zoro x Nami] all other Strawhats will make a guest appearance
1. Chapter 1

I do not own One Piece or any of the characters. I write cause I'm a nerd who enjoys it and make no money off of this.

A huge thank you to my friend MicroPink for the cover art! if you are interested in more one piece fan art or just like her style please check her out on facebook under Micropink Art.

That being said, this is finally my first Nami/Zoro piece that I've published. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The police station buzzed. Police detective Zoro Roronoa sorted the paperwork on his desk and placed it in his out box. He eyed the kid sitting at the end of his desk. A 16 year old guy in for shoplifting. An official warning should do, provided the stuff was returned. The kids mom came in to take him away looking like she would be much more effective at punishment than the legal system.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He looked over at his partner whose desk was across from his.

"You getting anywhere with that B&E from yesterday, Nami?"

"The canvas just came back. Having a look through it now." she replied "You give that kid a warning?"

"Yeah. No use ruining his life over..." he glanced at the paperwork "two DVDs and a USB stick."

Nami snorted "I dunno. Seems like a pretty hardened criminal to me."

"Yeah yeah. Hand over some of those reports, I'll help you get through them."

After his 10th report he started getting frustrated. "Dammit. None of these people say they saw or heard anything. It's a shitty apartment building for fuck sake. I can tell when my neighbour is getting ready for a date."

"Sanji still sing out the lady's name as he gets ready?" Nami laughed.

Zoro growled. It was all a joke to Nami but the guy severely pissed him off. He had wanted to march over there and stick his gun in the aggravating man's face on numerous occasions.

"Fucking romantic French bastard." he growled.

"He is pretty good-looking though, and I bet he's a great cook." Zoro just glared at her. "Hahaha, the look on your face. Priceless." she teased mercilessly.

"Let's just get back to these files."

Still smiling, Nami sorted through the reports. "Wait, here's something. The guy downstairs heard an argument coming from upstairs. And then some crashing and bumping. Thought it was a lovers spat or something." she started frowning. "This doesn't make any sense. Wasn't the burglary reported by the building manager?"

"Yeah..." Zoro agreed. "The tenant wasn't home and a neighbour noticed the open door. Contacted the building manager and he's the one that called it in. What are you thinking? Two man job?"

"Maybe... Something seems off though." she grabbed her keys from the drawer in her desk. "Let's check out the building again."

Zoro sighed and followed his partner's instructions.

* * *

First chapter is kind of short so I'll put the second one up now too

~Tanima


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own one piece, or the characters.

* * *

The pair walked through the apartment inspecting everything more closely than the previous day. Zoro looked through the kitchen and Nami made her way to the bathroom.

"So why do you think the tenant is away? And where do you think she is?" Nami asked.

"Dunno. It's not exactly strange for people to disappear for a couple days. Especially in a building like this."

"Just because it's in the the bad part of town and the building's a bit run down, doesn't mean the tenants are all drug addicts and thieves, Zoro. I actually grew up in a building much like this one. I mean, sure, it was run by a gang, but my neighbours were good people."

"Didn't mean to insult your upbringing, Nami. Just saying that it's not uncommon for folks to leave for a few days. But on a closer look at her kitchen, I'd say whoever lives here is not the type to disappear for days on end." Zoro opened the door to the fridge. "I mean, she has vegetables in here. Even bean sprouts. Those things go off in a matter of days."

"And what would you know about cooking and bean sprouts?" Nami challenged.

"I'm Japanese, Nami. I like my traditional meals. Give me a ramen bowl with fresh bean sprouts any day." he countered.

"We both know you do take out more often than not." She paused for a moment examining something. "I think I found something in the bathtub."

At the same moment, Zoro opened up the freezer. "I think I found the reason she was robbed. Looks like she might not have been such a stand up lady after all."

"Oh?"

"I'd say there's about 50,000 euro sitting in the freezer in cold, hard cash."

"That's a lot of motive. What I wouldn't do for that kind of cash." Nami said shaking her head at his terrible pun.

"What did you find in there?" Zoro asked as he made his way through the trashed living room to his partner.

"I think there may be traces of blood in here." She said. "We'll have to get a crime scene investigator to tell for certain, but there is a smidge of coppery red goop in the corner there and there." she pointed to a corner of the bathtub.

Nami pulled out her cell to make the call to the CSI unit while Zoro sized up the room as if re-enacting a scene.

"Hey Franky. Yeah, it's Nami. Yeah, I need help from you and your cool gadgets. Okay, Yeah. It's apartment 1126, 1345 Louge Way. Thanks Franky. See you soon." Nami ended the call and turned to her partner. "Says he'll be here in an hour."

"Good. We might as well wait for him." the man replied. Changing thoughts he continued. "What if the tenant was home when the burglar came in. The guy wanted the money so they argued and fought. The tenant never gave the location of the cash, burglar got angry and killed her."

"Makes sense. I wouldn't leave my apartment for days if I had 50,000 in my freezer. But how would they get the body out without anyone noticing?" Nami paused for a few moments as if working something out. Then she walked into the living room. "What if there was a rug here. The burglar kills the tenant." she grabbed an invisible ornament and smashed it over the imaginary tenant. "Then wraps her in the rug and puts her in the bathtub. That way they can still look for the money without leaving too much evidence of the murder. That still doesn't explain how they left the building though." she mused.

"What if he didn't have to take the body down the stair or elevator? That would be too risky, we are on the 11th floor. I noticed a garbage shoot at the end of the hall near the elevator. He could have carried the body there and just pushed it down."

"Why did you notice a garbage shoot?" Nami asked giving him a confused look.

"I live on the 15th floor of my apartment building with no shoot. Do you know how tedious it is to haul your garbage to the dumpster every week from the 15th floor?"

"Nope. I live in a little basement suite, so I don't know the plight." she gave Zoro a cheeky little grin. "This whole theory is a stab in the dark, but we should go check out the garbage shoot to see if a body would even fit."

* * *

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try have the next chapter or 2 up next weekend.

I always appreciate comments or feedback, but don't feel obligated.

until next time,

~Tanima


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own One Piece or any of the character. I do this for fun and just hope you enjoy this next chapter.

* * *

Zoro and Nami stood in their captain's office. The man himself sat behind his desk with his feet up on it. The pair recounted the new evidence, their theory, and Franky's findings.

"Franky said that the couple drops in the bath were indeed blood; and when he turned his black light on, found more traces in the bottom of the tub. It looked like the would-be thief tried to wash it down the drain."

Luffy looked at the pair. "Your theory seems like a bit of a stretch. Blood in the shower doesn't equate to murder. But there is enough suspicion that I want you to follow up on those new leads."

"Yes sir." The pair left to review the footage of the alley they had managed to acquire.

"We're pretty lucky that there's a gas-station sharing the alley with the apartment building. And that they have extreme surveillance measures." Nami commented as they brought up the recording on Zoro's computer. He fast-forwarded the tape to the desired time stamp. They saw an occasional homeless person rooted through the dumpster of the apartment block. They watched the whole night in high speed with nothing suspicious. Just a couple bags of garbage down the shoot and into the large bin then one more homeless person.

"Dammit. Maybe we were wrong." Zoro said as he rewound the tape for another viewing.

"It still feels like we are on the right track. We're just missing something." replied Nami sounding somewhat frustrated. "Let's watch it at least once more. We are missing something. I just know it."

"Okay. We didn't see anything that resembled a body or rug though."

The detectives watched through the video one more time without seeing anything new. Something nagged at the back of Nami's mind. "What time does that last homeless guy appear?"

Zoro rewound the recording. "2:33 am."

"Isn't that a little odd? All the good stuff would be gone by that point. Not many new bags would appear that late at night. Can we watch again from 9pm?"

"Yeah sure."

Nami watched the events as realization dawned on her. A small garbage bag. A couple hours later a couple larger garbage bags. A homeless man _finding a couple larger bags._ Horror etched itself into Nami's features. Zoro turned to look at his partner.

"What is it Nami? You look sick." he sounded concerned.

"We've been operating under the assumption that the body might be in a rug. In one piece. That is clearly not the case." Zoro's expression started to change as he understood what she was getting at. Nami continued "But what if the body was made smaller. And put in regular garbage bags..."

"Nobody looks twice at the homeless. It would be so easy to grab a couple bags, put them in an already full trolley and walk away. No one would even bat an eye." he said picking up where she left off. He stared at the frozen image of the homeless man on screen.

The pair watched the video another couple times, determining the size of the bags and the timing of the man.

"It's definitely possible. Likely even." concluded Zoro.

"We should update Luffy and send this picture to Franky to see if he can do something with it to get us a name." instructed the orange haired lady.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry it's a bit of a shorter chapter, next one will be longer.

A huge thank you to Byoken, Kurrumu, Rikuai12, Marimo-kun, NAnojikoMI, and daddysgirl145 for your follow/faves. It really means so much to me.

Feel free to let me know what you think, or not.

Until next week!

~Tanima


	4. Chapter 4

Hello Everyone, Sorry that I didn't update last week, I'm going to post 2 chapters this week though. These are my fluff chapters, I hope you enjoy them!

I don't own One Piece or any of the characters.

* * *

The clock read 5:04. Zoro and Nami were more than ready to finish work for the day.

"I need a stiff drink after today. You care to join?" Zoro asked as the pair made their way to the change rooms.

"Uhhhh," groaned Nami. "I would love to. Anything to take the edge off. Oh. Franky said that he'd see what he can do with the image tomorrow morning. Also said he'd get Sunny the Intern to see if she could follow our homeless man through CCTV cameras."

Zoro just nodded.

10 minutes later they both emerged from the change rooms dressed in civilian clothes. Zoro had a plain shirt and a bright green belt through his jeans to match his hair. Nami was wearing a seductively low cut shirt with the word 'Gold' written in gold and a pair of skin tight jeans.

"Were you thinking of anywhere specific for drinks?" the latter asked as they emerged on the streets.

"There's a great little place in my neighbourhood. It's called 'Bink's Sake'. Good beer, reasonable food."

"Good sake? I feel like it might be one of those nights."

"Of course they have good sake. I'll join you on that one."

They made their way through the crowded subway and onto a little street. Zoro led them down a flight of stairs and into a warm, little bar in the basement of a building. They sat themselves in a corner booth away from the bar. Not that it could really be considered away from the other patrons the place was so small.

"Dibs on the corner." Nami said as she sat down with her back against the wall. "I love people watching."

"We can both sit in the corner. It's a corner booth, idiot." Zoro replied without menace.

"You know, this place doesn't look like anything from the streets. But it's really cosy and nice in here." continued Nami, deciding to ignore the jab.

"That's what we aim for, young miss." a new voice interjected. Nami looked up to see a very tall, very pale, older gentleman with the biggest afro she had ever seen. Her eyebrows lifted.

"Nami, this is Brook." Said Zoro making introductions. "He owns this place. Brook, this is my partner."

"Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Nami. A question for you. May I see your panties?"

Both police officers jaws dropped at the old man. Nami was outraged beyond words.

"It's a joke, my lady. Merely a joke." Brook said with a laugh as she spluttered.

"That's one strange joke, mister." Nami replied with venom.

"I'm sorry if I offended. What can I get you both to drink?"

They both finished their 6th cup of sake. "Your cheeks are looking a little flushed there, Nami. Sure you can keep up with me?" taunted the green haired man.

"OH you're one to talk, stupid. You're going just as flush as me." the woman jabbed back. "I'll go get us another round."

Zoro watched her head to the bar. There were a couple men in their early 20s sitting at the bar watching her approach. He watched as she chatted them up, leaned over the counter toward them, flashing ample cleavage and a sweet smile. _Those poor boys are being played and they don't even realize it_ snickered Zoro. _Nami may be 28, but she is smoking hot and knows how to use it. They never stood a chance._ At 31, Zoro had never met any woman quite like his partner.

Nami sat back down at their table with four cups of sake and laughed. "Also, both of these count as my rounds, so you will still need to buy the next two." she said with a sinister smile.

"What?! Come on, that's not fair. You didn't even pay for them. You conned those two poor boys."

"Still counts as my round." she reiterated, her eyes gleaming somewhere between smug and evil master mind.

The drinks flowed until Nami couldn't see straight. She rested her head on the table. "Alright, Zoro. You win this round."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you, would you repeat that?"

Without lifting her head she glared at him. "You heard it alright, lair. You only get to hear it once."

Zoro laughed. "You may be drunk but you are still just as stubborn. I'm impressed though, 12 cups of sake is a lot." If he was being honest, he was at the stopping point too. It should have been a tie, but he would never tell her that.

"Zoro. I'm too drunk to go home. I'm crashing at your place tonight." she stated.

"You can't just decide that on your own, woman!"

"I can and I did." she countered, unfazed by his annoyance. "Help me up. Please." She added sweetness to the last word as she looked up at him. He smiled down at her, unable to refuse.

"You are a funny sight right now." he chuckled. "Up you get." He said as he hoisted her to her feet.

The cold air of the night was a welcome relief to the pair as Zoro all but carried Nami up the road. The fresh air did seem to sober her up a little.

"Even the sweet air in there was intoxicating." she commented.

"Yeah, it has that effect." He looked down at the woman who, by now, was mostly walking on her own. However he kept his arm around her.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own One Piece or any of the characters. I hope you enjoy the second half of the fluff.

* * *

They made their way down the hallway to Zoro's apartment idly chatting about nothing in particular.

"I'm this next door." Zoro motioned with his head. Suddenly the door they were passing banged open and an angry voice yelled out.

"Hey, shitty Bastard! Keep it down. Some of us are trying to sleep." a blond head and a trail of cigarette smoke emerged from the door. "Oh" Sanji said, totally changing his tone. "Good evening, Miss. I didn't see you there. How are you this fine evening?"

It was Zoro's turn to rage. "Hey, pervert! I'm not the one yelling at this time of night. And stop hitting on my partner!" He moved in really close to the man; an inaudible growl present on his lips.

Sanji looked slightly shocked but didn't back down. "I didn't realize you had a girlfriend, moss-head."

"I'm a cop stupid. She's my cop partner." Zoro spat.

"Ahh, I see. That makes much more sense." he replied condescendingly. He turned to Nami. "Would the lovely lady care for nightcap?" He motioned to the open door of his apartment.

Zoro grabbed Nami's wrist to drag her away. "I'm sick of your shit, you froggy bastard. We're leaving, Nami."

Nami yanked her wrist out of Zoro's grip. "I don't need you giving me orders." she snapped. "And I am perfectly capable of walking myself." she took a small, unsteady step toward Zoro's apartment. Her hand stayed on the wall to steady herself as she moved; both men watched her go.

"Why are you so protective of her? Are you in love with her?" Sanji sneered.

Nami and Zoro froze; Nami looking at Zoro, Zoro glaring at Sanji.

"That is none of your business, moron. Go back into your shitty apartment and leave us alone." seethed the green haired man.

"Up yours, Marimo." Sanji glanced back at Nami, his tone, again, changed dramatically. "I hope you are still able to have a pleasant evening, even if it is to be in his company. If you would like the company of a gentleman, you know where to find me." With a bow to the lady, he closed the door and left them in silence. Nami was most of the way to the door and Zoro caught up in a couple strides.

"Can you believe that guy? What a pig." he grumbled under his breath.

"Zoro, What's the answer?" she asked softly.

"To what?" he opened the door and turned on his hall light.

"You know to what. Sanji's question." She moved past him into the hall and watched him lock the door. When he turned around, he had an uncharacteristically gentle expression.

"Nami, do I need to be in love with you for you to be the most important woman in my life?" he slowly lifted his hand to cup her cheek; looking into her warm brown eyes in the dim light. She leaned into his hand cupping it with her own; a genuine smile on her lips.

"You are incredibly important to me too, Zoro."

They stood for only a moment before the man removed his hand and moved past her into the larger rooms. "We should drink some water before bed. At our age the hangover might actually kill us in the morning if we don't." He grabbed a couple glasses and placed them on the coffee table. He grabbed a remote and flipped the tv to a random comedy show before flopping down on the couch with a groan. He rested his arms on the back of the sofa. Nami removed her shoes and followed him to the couch. She sat quite close to him; even when sitting upright, his arm was basically around her shoulders.

After a few minutes, she leaned back into him – nestling into his side. He gave her a questioning glance. "This is much comfier." was her only reply. Casually, Zoro dropped his arm from the back of the sofa so one arm now rested against Nami's waist. She sighed in contentment. "This is nice." Zoro hummed in agreement. They both continued to absent-mindedly watch the tv, lost in their own thoughts.

"You know," the man murmured. "I've been thinking about putting in for a transfer."

A shocked Nami stared up at him in disbelief. "What?!"

"Yeah. There's this bossy, red-headed woman at the office that I like. It's starting to become... troublesome."

"Oh, I see." She relaxed back into him, sounding disappointed. "Does she know you feel this way?"

"I'm not sure. We've been flirting a lot recently, but we also fight and bicker a lot. So I'm not really sure how she feels."

"So you want to get away from her because it's problematic for you?"

"I really enjoy the time I get to spend with her and want to spend more time on a more personal level. I want to get away from her at work so I can ask her out. There is a no dating policy."

"Is she really that special? To do all that on the off chance it'll work out?"

"She is the most special woman in the world. I've thought so for a long time. I would do that and more for her." he smiled tenderly at her.

"Have you tried asking her how she feels?"

"I am now, stupid." He brushed a strand of orange hair out of her face.

"I think you should go for it. I'm sure she feels the same way about you. But ask her in the daytime, she might think it's the sake talking if you do it now." she stuck her tongue out at him.

Zoro chuckled. "That sounds like the best plan. We've both had a lot to drink. But I assure you, it's not just the sake talking. I will ask tomorrow morning none-the-less." He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

They stayed up until the program on T.V. ended before Zoro spoke again. "It's late. We should get some rest before work tomorrow."

Nami looked up at the green haired man through half lidded eyes - on the verge of sleep. "Mmhmm. I can sleep here. I'm crashing uninvited after all."

"Don't be silly, woman. You'll sleep in my bed. It may not be tidy, but it's clean." he shifted her weight off of him so he could get up. Placing one arm under her shoulders and one arm under her knees, Zoro lifted his partner with ease. He carried her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed. He tried to place her under the covers without disrupting her too much. As he brought the blanket up to her neck, her hand came out to catch his wrist, just before he could turn to leave.

"Please stay, Zoro." her voice pleaded, though heavy with sleep.

"You know I want to." he leaned down to kiss her forehead one last time and gently prised her fingers open. "Sleep well, Nami." he whispered from the doorway as he closed the door. He grabbed a blanket and shuffled to the couch before slipping out of consciousness.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.  
Until next week,

~Tanima


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry it's been a while since my last update. been a bit busy with the end of school and moving, but have 2 more chapters for you._

 _I don't own One Piece or any of the characters_

* * *

Zoro sat at his desk scrolling through some electronic files. A very tall glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol sat before him.

"Hey, Zoro, give me one of those." Nami instructed, pointing to the medicine.

"How's your hangover this morning?" he inquired as he handed the bottle over.

"Not bad. Basically don't have one, just a mild headache. It must be the water before bed that prevented one." She replied with a wink. "How's yours?"

"Basically the same as you. Good thing we drink too much, eh? Otherwise we would have had a hangover." Zoro chuckled.

They continued doing paperwork for most of the morning until Nami got an email from Franky.

"Franky says that he and Sunny the Intern will have a name and probably a location after lunch. In the meantime, we should follow up with the neighbour and then grab a bite to eat. Hopefully Franky will have something for us by then." Nami grabbed the keys to their squad car.

"I'll drive this time." said Zoro.

Nami just laughed at him. "Over my dead body."

The green haired man stared at her, clearly outraged.

"Your driving skill itself is alright, but your sense of direction is abysmal. I look away for 2 seconds and we're in Timbuktu. It's actually quite impressive how bad you are." She stuck her tongue out at him as she kept a firm grip on the keys. Zoro just grumbled as he followed her and got in the passenger side of the car.

* * *

 _Sorry this chapter is so short. Have the next one posted too_

 _~Tanima_


	7. Chapter 7

_I don't own one piece or any of the characters._

* * *

"Well that was useless. The guy said exactly what was in the report. Nothing that we didn't already know." Zoro griped.

"At least we know nobody in the building like our victim. Allison Vida was not a very nice woman. Sounds like she was mixed up with gangs and robbery. Hopefully Franky will have a good lead on the suspect for us when we get back."

The pair entered a coffee shop for lunch.

"I'll have the usual please, Vivi." Nami smiled as she stepped up to her friend at the counter.

"Same for me, Vivi." Zoro said as he stepped behind his partner.

Vivi punched in their order in a computer turned back to them with a smile. "That will be $17.89 for Nami and $13.20 for Zoro.

"Nami, we need to hang out soon. Give me a call on the weekend and we can go dancing."

"Ooo, that would be lovely. But what about Karoo?"

"I can get a babysitter for a night." she laughed

"How is your little man? And Kohza?"

"They are both doing well. But we can catch up on the weekend. Give me a call!"

"Okay. This weekend. I promise." Nami replied with a big smile.

They moved over to the pick up counter to allow Vivi to help the next in line. After a couple minutes the barista's voice called out. "Double cream, extra chocolate, extra whip hot chocolate for a Tony Chopper?"

"I recognize that name!" cried Nami. Looking around for a second she spotted him and approached. "Hey there cutie. How's it going?"

"Nami!" the little 19 year old exclaimed with joy and wrapped her in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Chopper" Zoro's gruff voice greeted.

"And Zoro!" Chopper turned to embrace his stoic friend.

"We come here practically everyday for lunch, Chopper." Nami answered his question. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm meeting up with a friend. I met him in an evening class. He is soo coool!" squealed the boy. "I'm sure you'll like him."

No sooner had the trio found a seat than a long, curly haired figure appeared. "Greetings! It is I, the brave warrior, Captain Usopp!" he exclaimed.

Chopper beamed up at the figure while Zoro and Nami turned around to get a better look him.

"Oh, hey Usopp." Nami greeted the man casually. Zoro just grunted in the newcomer's direction.

"Oh, it's you guys." Usopp replied looking visibly deflated from the lack of reaction to his cool entrance. "I thought I'd get the chance to impress more people."

Chopper looked confused at the three of them. "I don't understand. You guys know each other?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Usopp with renewed vigour. "I heroically saved their lives with much risk to my own."

"You are definitely exaggerating there Usopp." Zoro growled. "We were far from helpless in that situation."

"Hey!" Nami punched Zoro in the shoulder. "We would have died if Usopp hadn't saved us. Your solution was to cut our hands off and somehow keep fighting!"

Nami explained the story for Chopper. "Early in our partnership, Zoro and I were investigating an abduction and ransom case. We found the hideout where the girl was being held. Usopp, being a sniper in Special Tactics was covering us as we infiltrated the building. But things went awry and we ended up being captured as well. One of the men went up on the roof to eliminate Usopp, but he fought back and then managed to shoot one of the men and the handcuffs on Zoro and I. All from the roof top. I have no doubt that we would have died without him."

Chopper looked up in awe at his new hero, then turning back to Nami asked "But what about the girl?"

"Oh, she's fine. She was able to keep all the money and opened up a little coffee shop." Nami looked over to Vivi behind the counter and gave a little wave. The other lady saw and returned it.

"Wooooowwwww. Sooo cooool."

Usopp looked at Nami. "But how do you know Chopper?"

"Oh, I took a CPR course that he taught a while back. We've been in contact since." She smiled at the boy. "How can anyone not want to talk to this little cutie?"

"Just because you're heaping praise onto me doesn't mean that I will like you more, stupid." he replied sounding very happy.

The barista called out again. "Roast beef sandwich and black coffee for Roronoa Zoro. And a skim milk, half pump, chai tea latte and a basil, tomato, and arugula panini and satsuma orange for Nami Swan."

Nami stood up. "Well, that's our lunch. Have a good meal guys. We'll see you later."

Zoro followed his partner. "See you around."

They collected their food and headed for the door. Once they were on the street, Nami turned to her companion. "Say, didn't you have a question for me?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

Zoro led them into a little green area and sat down on a bench. He took a sip of coffee before replying. "Would you like to grab a drink this weekend Nami?"

"Didn't we go for a drink last night?"

"Yes, but the drink I'm asking you for now will be different."

"How so? What will be different about it?"

"Dammit Nami, you know what will be different. You know what I'm asking."

"I do. But I also want you to ask properly." she said seriously.

Zoro sighed and looked her in the eye. "Nami, will you go on a date with me?"

A smile broke out on the lady's face "I would love to, Zoro."

Zoro slowly moved his hand to where Nami's rested on the bench. Not expecting the contact, she looked shocked for a second. When she realized that he was trying to hold her hand her expression softened. They stayed there for a few minutes watching the busy people rush back and forth.

Nami broke their touching moment. "We should get back to work."

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea." It still took him a second to remove his hand.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you fro reading_

 _~Tanima_


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own One Piece or any of the characters.

* * *

At her desk, Nami checked her email. "Hey Zoro, Franky sent up a name and a picture."

"Wow. That is one ugly guy." he commented as he moved around the desk to see Nami's computer.

"Buggy: repeat offender, theft, B&Es, attempted assault." Nami read off the screen. "Last know address was out of town. However, his last employment was down at the docks. Warehouse 11. Franky also says that Sunny the Intern followed our guy to the east side of town before she lost him. It's not unreasonable to assume he was heading to the docks on that course."

"Well then, let's head down and see what we can dig up. Maybe this clown did go back to his old workplace."

"Oooo, this'll be like our first date, Zoro." Nami teased as they headed to their squad car.

"Nonsense woman. When I take you out, it will be a proper date. With dinner and drinks and shit. After all, I'm not cheap like you are." The man jibed back.

Nami laughed. "Will there be candles and romantic music playing in the background?"

"Sure, why not. Only get one chance to have a good first date, right?"

"Looks like you've been taking notes from Sanji."

Zoro growled. "That perv doesn't know anything about love. He only cares about romance."

Nami's giggle died down a little. "Love?"

Zoro flushed but grunted out "Nothing."

Nami sighed and got in the car.

* * *

Sorry it's a bit of a shorter chapter, but i hope you enjoyed it. Hoping to have a bigger update on the weekend.

Until then,

~Tanima


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks for reading so far. We are approaching the end of this story, roughly 4 more chapters not including this one. I hope you will enjoy the rest of it.  
_

 _I don't own One Piece or any of the Characters._

* * *

The sun was low on the horizon when they parked. The cops scoped the area out a little before deciding it was okay to get out of the car. Zoro grabbed their ballistic resistant vests from the trunk and brought the smaller to Nami. As she strapped it on she nodded toward the closest building.

"It looks like the door's been jimmied open." She drew her gun and soundlessly approached the building, Zoro just two steps behind her. The evening light didn't penetrate the dark, dusty building. Their eyes took a moment to adjust.

"No flashlights this time. Don't want to spook him." Nami breathed. Zoro nodded and pointed down an aisle, between huge dusty crates. He lead the way down the aisle checking the gaps between every 3 or 4 crates on left; Nami checking the gaps on the right.

Zoro turned back to her. "I wonder if he's still here." he whispered.

In the moment Zoro's attention was turned, Nami saw a figure emerge from a corner and dash toward them. With no time to warn him, all she managed was to call out was his name. "ZORO!" fear and worry etched deep into her voice. The woman shoved her partner hard to the side shoving him into the crates. He turned in time to see a man – their suspect – run into her and keep going. Nami doubled over as Buggy's fist slammed into her gut. Winded she threw one hand out to steady herself on a crate and one hand around her waist. Her gun clattered uselessly to the ground. She looked up enough to see Zoro staring at her in shock.

"Go!" she coughed out.

Zoro growled, a deep animal snarl, his rage vocalized. How dare that man assault his partner – his Nami. He holstered his own gun and took off after the man. He needed to take down the man quickly, or he might get lost in the maze like placement of the crates. Luckily the other man was not fast. His long, straggly blue hair flapping out behind him and his heavy breathing echoed from the wooden planks.

It was not long before the fit, younger man caught up. Zoro tackled the man to the ground. As Buggy landed heavily on his chest, something skittered out of his hand, catching the detective's attention. A knife glinted in the dingy atmosphere. Liquid covered some of the blade and a drop of blood slowly accumulated and hit the pavement with a soft plop. Zoro's stomach instantly dropped and he felt sick. _Nami._ With the strength of several men, the detective wrenched his captives arms behind his back and cuffed them together. Without bothering to secure or mirandize him, Zoro sprinted back to his partner.

* * *

Nami shoved Zoro out of the way and felt the blow to her stomach. She felt as if all the air had left her lungs. Pain seemed to rip all the way through her. She had been punched many times before, but none felt this bad. She instinctively covered her abdomen with an arm and reached out for a crate. She noticed Zoro just staring at her. _What is he waiting for?_

"Go!" Even just that word took all of her effort. She coughed and a warm, coppery, fire filled her mouth and speckled her lips. _Shit_. A feeling of deep, cold dread washed over the woman, sinking into her bones and settling around her heart.

Slowly, apprehensively, she removed her hand just enough to see her palm. There was red everywhere; it dripped freely from her fingers. She used all her strength to apply pressure but knew it was next to useless. She tried to call for her partner.

"Zoro" she whispered. It was as loud as she could muster. Her voice would never cut through the dusty air to reach him. She prayed that he would come back as she felt her own blood ooze between her fingers.

She was dizzy now. She felt herself crumple to the ground unbid. Before she hit the ground a strong pair of arms caught her; embracing her and gently lowering her.

She felt Zoro's large hand putting ample pressure on her wound. He cradled her in his other arm. Fully supported by his strength she could relax against him. She smiled up at him weakly. She could see tears in his eyes. She could vaguely hear him calling her name – he sounded desperate. She wanted to calm him down, reassure him. Nami reached her arm up to caress his cheek. "It's okay, Zoro. Don't worry. I love you."

* * *

Zoro yelled into his walkie-talkie as he sprinted down the aisle. "Officer Down. Warehouse 2 at the docks. I need a medical unit. Send anyone! – everyone!" He could see her now. She swayed as he came closer. He dove and slid on his knees the remaining few feet to catch her before she hit the ground. "NAMI!" he screamed. His voice laden with fear and worry and grief and guilt and a thousand other emotions he didn't know how to process.

"Nami, don't leave me." he choked out. He could feel her blood pouring through his fingers, soaking his pants, warming his legs. He ripped her vest partly out of the way to get to her wound. He cradled her close while keeping pressure. Tears streamed down his face. "Nami. Don't you dare leave me. I still owe you that date. Please stay with me. Nami. Nami. Please stay awake. Just a little longer, Nami."

She smiled weakly up at him but her brown eyes lacked that characteristic spark. She brought her hand to his cheek. "It's okay, Zoro. Don't worry." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. He had to strain to hear her. "I love y.." Her hand slid down his face smearing a trail of blood down his cheek and dropped onto her chest.

"Nami. Nami! NAMI!" His voice was barely human. Agony racked through him transforming his sounds to that of a wounded animal. His howls echoed through the otherwise still warehouse.

* * *

 _I'm sorry for this turn of events and ending it here. I'll update soon. I hope to see you at the next chapter. Feel free to let me know what you think.  
_

 _Until next time,_

 _~Tanima_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you or reading. I don't own One Piece or any of the characters._

* * *

"We have gathered together to mourn the loss of one of our own. Nami Swan was a brilliant police detective and a wonderful woman..."

Zoro didn't hear any of the speech as he stared at the cross planted in the ground. He knew, of course, that her body wasn't beneath it. She was buried on a hill overlooking the ocean in her home town; right next to her mother. Zoro felt dead inside. He couldn't believe she was gone. He still expected her to walk around the corner and this would all be some kind of messed up dream. But she hadn't. She had been gone for days. He knew she was dead, but he couldn't believe it. He saw Chopper make his way through the crowds of officers in full uniform and the civilians in black. The speech must have ended. Chopper threw his arms around the larger man and clung on like his own life depended on it.

Tears streamed down Choppers face as his large brown eyes met green. "I am so sorry, Zoro. It's all my fault Nami died. I was there, I should have been able to save her. But I didn't. If I had just been better she would still be here." He was sobbing inconsolably, his words barely recognizable as Zoro looked down at the young man with sadness. The boy who only wanted to help as many people as possible. But because he was the first paramedic on the scene and was unable to save her, he felt like it was his fault.

Zoro grabbed Chopper by the shoulders and leaned down to eye level. "Chopper, listen to me. None of this is your fault. You did everything possible to save her. The only one responsible is the monster that stabbed her. It is not your fault."

Chopper stopped sobbing, but tears still flowed from his eyes. He nodded silently. Usopp came up looking not much better than Chopper. Tears were streaming down his face and a well used handkerchief stuck out of his pocket. He gently grabbed Choppers shoulders and lead him away. With a silent nod to Zoro, the pair left.

Alone again, Zoro stared at the tombstone wishing that his surrounding could disappear. Wishing he could be alone with her. But, being a cop, he was hyper aware of every person around him. Every shuffle, every mournful apology of loss, every nose blown. The only time he had been able to relax in public was when he was with Nami. He had never told her that. Guess he would never be able to now. He wished he could cry for her; to relieve the pain, but nothing came. He wondered how feeling dead inside could also be so painful.

The crowd finally started thinning out leaving him momentarily alone. Presumably they had gone to the little hall in the graveyard for drinks to reminisce about their fallen comrade. He sensed a hulking figure amble up next to him. The shock of blue hair confirmed who it was. Neither man spoke for some time, both staring at the grave.

Finally, Franky broke the silence. "You know she wouldn't blame you for what happened."

Zoro's face settled into a bigger frown, with a humourless bark of laughter. "You kidding me?"

Franky let out a sad little chuckle. "Okay, maybe she would. And she would get you to carry her everywhere. And make you do all her menial tasks. But she would never want you feeling like this. She would know it's not your fault, Zoro." He clapped his comrades shoulder trying to impart some kind of comfort. "You have my number. I will always be here if you need me." The man gave a little squeeze before leaving Zoro alone with his thoughts.

* * *

 _AAAAA I'm sorry T_T I feel really bad but I was inspired to write a touching but sad story. I have another ZoNa one up that i swear to god will have a happy ending. I've put the next chapter up cause this one is a bit shorter._


	11. Chapter 11

_I don't own One Piece or any of the characters. Sorry this chapter is a bit short as well.  
_

* * *

Zoro stumbled into his apartment, leaning heavily on the door he had just inadvertently slammed open. When did the lock become so difficult? He had probably slammed one too many beer back at the cemetery. He knew that alcohol wasn't the answer to his crushing feeling of guilt and grief, but damned if he wasn't going to try. He closed the door, kicked his shoes off and let his coat fall to the floor in the entrance way. He made his way to the living room to pass out on the couch. Until he saw the 2 water glasses he still hadn't moved sitting on the coffee table. One still had her lipstick marks around the rim.

Zoro felt something tighten deep in his heart. He had been avoiding looking at those glasses for days and now he couldn't keep his eyes off the lipstick smudges. His vision went blurry before a single tear rolled down his cheek. And then another. He let them fall, his hands lead weights by his sides.

Alone in his apartment, he finally released the floodgates. So many emotions caught hold of him and swept him away. The tears continued to roll down his face, belatedly, he realized that he was sobbing. A deep guttural cry that started at the very pit of his being. He didn't know if it was sadness or anger. Because he was very, very angry. That realization surprised him into silence. He clung to the anger, for it was better than the desperate hopelessness that threatened to swallow him whole. He took 2 strides across the small room and swept his arm across the coffee table sending the glasses flying and shattering against a cabinet . He was angry at himself for not saving her. He was angry at the bastard that stabbed her. He was angry that she was gone. Forever.

He grabbed the coffee table itself and flipped it across the room, sending a huge crashing echo through his apartment. Darkness encroached on the edges of his vision as he continued his mindless destruction. Unaware of what he was destroying he lashed out while the darkness took over.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading. Again, sorry we're heading down angst alley. But we are nearly wrapped up now. Hoping to have the next chapters up by the weekend at the latest._

 _Until then,_

 _~Tanima_


	12. Chapter 12

_If there is still anyone reading this, this and the next chapter conclude the story. Thank you for following it until now. And sorry for the feels, but I was inspired to write more of a sad story. I hope you enjoy the conclusion._

* * *

Zoro looked down at his feet. There was a dizzying amount of nothing below them. He closed his eyes and took a breath. He looked again. The ground was a long way down. From the bedroom window of his 15th floor apartment, there was no way he would survive. He sat in the windowsill staring at the alley below him.

A pungent whiff of cigarette smoke caught his attention. A curl of smoke and a familiar blond head poked out of the window a few feet to his right.

"What do you want." Zoro growled at his neighbour.

"Look, I just wanted to check on you. There was…" Sanji took his cigarette out and blew long stream of smoke into the chilly air. "Quite the racket. But then it stopped."

Zoro looked over at Sanji. The man casually looked out at the view, his cigarette hanging from his lips, arms crossed leaning on his own bedroom windowsill. His air was almost casual, as if they were chatting over coffee. But Zoro noticed that his one hand was gripping on the windowsill; so tight that his knuckles were white.

"I contemplated calling the cops," the blond man continued, ignoring Zoro's stare. "but I figured you probably didn't want them to know about this." He offhandedly waved his other hand in Zoro's general direction.

"Yeah. Thanks." it was gruff but sincere.

"So. She was really special."

"Yeah." Zoro felt his voice crack. "She was one of a kind."

"The silence dragged out for several moments, as if they were at the edge of something big, yet neither man spoke.

Finally Zoro confessed. "I- I don't know what to do."

Sanji removed the cigarette from his mouth again and blew the smoke toward the building across the parking lot. He turned to Zoro with an uncharacteristically serious face.

"You need to get help."

Zoro sighed and let his body sag. "Yeah"

"I'm sure there's someone at the police station for stuff like this"


	13. Chapter 13

Zoro sat stiffly on the comfortable couch. The office was nicely furnished and had a homey feel to it, but he wasn't able to relax.

An attractive woman with long, dark hair sat across from him in an equally comfortable looking armchair. She looked relaxed, her face expressionless. He knew she was reading him; trying to find out what made him tick. He couldn't figure her out at all - part of what made him so uncomfortable.

"So." The lady flipped her notepad open. "Shall we start today's session, Officer Roronoa?"

"Look, Dr Nico, I already told you I'm fine. Can't you just sign my psych eval form and let me back to work?"

"We've had a session already and there is nothing to convince me you are ready to go back." she stated matter-of-factly.

She didn't even seem spiteful which made it harder for Zoro to hate her and get out of seeing her.

 _I just don't want to talk about Nami._

"Let's talk about Officer Swan."

Zoro mentally sighed but made sure not a single muscle is his body moved.

"How long were you two partner?"

"6 years."

"That's a long time, isn't it? Especially being stationed on a big city like this?"

"It's true lots of officers never settle down but there are also lots of long term partners."

"Is that what you and Officer Swan were? Long term partners?"

The double meaning took the man off guard. "No." Was his immediate response. "Maybe." He sighed. "We knew we could count on each other. That's all that matters when you're on the streets."

"I see. And how long has she been dead?"

Zoro felt a familiar hand around his heart give a nasty squeeze. His eyebrows involuntarily twitched into a scowl - or wince. "2 weeks." He growled. It didn't feel like that long already. He could still see her - feel her - in his arms. He could feel her blood warm against his legs and slippery between his fingers. He could see the twinkle leave her eyes as she died in his arms.

"...fficer Roronoa?" The doctor's voice broke through his horrific visions. He grunted a response.

"I think you might be suffering from post traumatic shock. Th-"

"I don't have PTSD." he interrupted before she had a chance to finish.

She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "I'm not suggesting you have the full disorder yet, Officer. But you have been through a traumatic event. It's perfectly natural that you would experience ramifications from that. Please tell me. When you drifted off just then. What did you see?"

Zoro searched the doctor's face - looking for any sign of misgiving. He recalled his conversation with Sanji. He needed help. Zoro had never before thought about how difficult it was being vulnerable. It took way more courage than pretending to be fine.

Doctor Nico's expression softened as if sensing his internal struggle. "I'm here to help."

"Nami. Just now I saw Nami. In my arms when she…. In her final moments."

"I understand. Do you see her often?"

"Mainly when I try to sleep. I see her when I start to drift off. Her death haunts my nightmares."

"How do you feel when you see her?"

Zoro looked at the woman as if she were the crazy one. "How do I feel? My partner died in my arms! How do you think I feel?!"

"Despaired, lost, guilty" she listed them matter-of-factly but each one felt like a shot to the man.

"It should have been me." His voice was quiet and gruff, his eyes gazing at his feet.

The doctor encouraged him to go on with a look.

"In the warehouse. It should have been me that died. Not Nami. She pushed me out of the way."

"Do you blame yourself for what happened."

Zoro nodded.

"Do you blame yourself for Officer Swan's actions or Mr. Buggy's?"

"What?"

"The situation was out of your control. Officer Swan and Mr. Buggy are both adults who made decisions of their own accord. Mr. Buggy sensed danger and ran at it with a knife and Officer Swan protected someone for whom she cared deeply."

"I should have been able to see him coming. I blame myself for my own inactions."

"Was there really time to sense him and react properly though? From the report, it sounds like he came around a corner at full speed only 5 feet in front of you. That gave both of you approximately 2 seconds to react."

"Yeah, but-"

"Or do you think Officer Swan's first choice was get stabbed and die?"

"No. Nami was smarter than that." Zoro sagged as he tried to work the logical information into his guilty conscience. He idly wondered if the doctors bluntness would help him come to terms with it.

"There is a group that I think you should attend. It's for public service members who've experienced a trauma."

"Oh?"

"The members find it helpful to talk to others in similar positions - who understand - as well as their therapists. We have a paramedic who had to treat a friend that didn't make it. Another paramedic who saw his family murdered as a child. A firefighter who lost his best friend and his chief in a huge blaze that took several other.

"There is nothing weak about needing help or support sometimes, Officer. It is far weaker to try and ignore the problem and hope it goes away."

Zoro grunted a response as Dr. Nico grabbed a business card from her file on the low table between them. She scribbled something on the back and handed it to him. "This is the time and address of the meeting. I've written one of the regulars name and number on the back if you want to talk to him at all."

Zoro took the card and stared at the doctors' neat scrawl for a few moments before tucking it into his pocket. "I guess I've got nothing left to lose."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and that the end kind of makes the other stuff better. Thank you for reading all the way to the finish of the story._

 _I always appreciate feedback, even if you think it sucked. :P But as always, no pressure to comment._

 _To reiterate, not just Robin and Sanji, but I too think that to anyone with a mental disorder or disability, there is nothing wrong or weak about seeking help or treatment. It is far better to understand what is going on and try to help yourself than stay in denial while you potentially hurt yourself or those around you. You may not like the answer but it will give you options on how to get treatment and how to move forward with you life. There are resources available to you._

 _anyway, thank you for completing this longish and depressing tale. I hope to see you on some of my less messed up stories._

 _Take care,_

 _-Tanima_


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